"This book contains all the reader could possibly wish to know about Louisa May Alcott. It will stand for a long time—perhaps permanently—as the authoritative book in its field." —Chicago Tribune

First published in 1950, this biography of Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) remains the standard work on the beloved American writer.

Madeleine B. Stern, one of the world's leading Alcott scholars, shows how the breadth of Alcott's work, ranging from Little Women to sensational thrillers and war stories, serves as a reflection of a fascinating and complicated life dotted with poverty and riches alike, hard menial work, physical suffering relieved by opiates, and the acclaim of literary success.

MADELEINE B. STERN is a partner in the firm of Rostenberg and Stern Rare Books. She is the editor of several collections of Alcott’s works, including Feminist Alcott: Stories of a Woman’s Power; From Jo March’s Attic: Stories of Intrigue and Suspense; and Louisa May Alcott Unmasked: Collected Thrillers, all published by Northeastern University Press. A collection of Stern’s essay, Louisa May Alcott: From Blood & Thunder to Hearth & Home, is also published by Northeastern. She lives in New York City.